Growing Pains
by Nyx6
Summary: Evil Shield Days! Set after the 2013 match between The Usos, Christian and The Shield and following on from Dean eating the pin. Roman is angry, Seth is well, Seth like and Dean has this pain in his stomach which won't go away. Embarrassment probably, or maybe something more than that...something far worse. Brother feels all the way and plenty of worrying about Dean...of course!
1. One

**Part one of a super short little story that I'm posting the fill the void in between anything more substantial. Nothing but brotherly feels here. Will post every other day. Time wise it's set in the summer of 2013 when the Shield had a match between Christian and the Usos where Dean took the pin by eating a spear...the rest is all the result of my crazy brain!**

**Hope you like it!**

* * *

**Appendicitis**

**1**

A spear.

Of all the god damn moves in the world, he'd been taken down by a_ spear_.

By rights it was probably the one move in the wrestling world that he should have known to instinctively avoid, given that the powerhouse of their three man posse used it essentially every time they stepped out.

Dean had just assumed he would see that shit coming, or hear it or feel it or _sense_ it somehow.

It was why the hit had caught him so unguarded as the full weight of fucking _Christian_ had come in from his left hand side, the impact snapping his head back with a cracking noise and slamming his brain into the top of skull. The pain had exploded around his ribcage like a _cluster bomb_, flooding his ears with a shrieking white noise.

Something was wrong.

He knew that instinctively

He wasn't sure _what_ but something was wrong.

It was the reason he had lain there – his battered head spinning – as above him _Asshat Christian_ had hooked back his leg.

_One, two, three._

Dean had barely felt the pin fall and when the crowd had cheered, they'd seemed a million miles off. He'd registered the mat bounce slightly underneath him and a familiar black pair of boots had stepped in close, but other than that those first few minutes had been spent drawing in his legs to try and contain the ache.

Because _god_ it had ached.

Like a bitch.

Like a mutha.

Like a demolition crew was wreaking havoc on his insides.

When he had finally chanced a pain-filled gaze beyond his nose tip, it was to see his teammates staring glumly back at him, equal parts bewildered and pretty damn pissy.

"What the hell happened?" Roman was shouting above the crowd-noise, because suddenly _that_ had come rushing back in style, not replacing but running alongside the whistling until his whole head had _vibrated _with an ocean of noise.

_What the hell happened?_

It was an interesting question, but it all boiled down to one striking fact.

The fact that Dean had been pinned by Christian.

The fact that Dean had lost them the match.

Honestly, it was a pretty bitter pill to gulp down and not just for him either, but for all three of them as a unit.

They had helped him from the ring as he had painfully rolled over – feeling his insides almost _shifting _as he did – but the movement had been completed in a furious silence and he could feel the disapproval rolling down from them in waves.

It hadn't mattered that he'd practically had to _fold_ across the barricade and have them both push and pull him across, it hadn't mattered that he'd stumbled unsteadily down the hallway or sat in his ring gear while the two of them had changed.

His teammates were not interested with his writhing histrionics.

Roman and Seth were too damn pissed.

"Why weren't you watching him, huh?" Seth had needled, as he stripped his vest off over his head, "Why weren't you looking at what Christian was doing?"

Dean cradled his abdomen, swallowed and _hummed_ mildly. If he had spoken there was a very real chance he would throw up and he didn't want, or need their latent pity.

Dean Ambrose had enough of his own.

So instead he had simply sat in stubborn silence, shaking very lightly and loosening his belt. If he could make it back to the safety of their hotel room, he could just sleep it off and then all would be well. He would be rested and back to full strength by the morning.

Then he would beat fucking _Christian_ into the ground.

"A loss man," Roman groused as they had shuffled down the corridor, heading for their car after what felt like a _year_. Seth had grudgingly taken pity on his brother and was carrying his bag – Dean had been dragging it along the floor – but their larger teammate was still working on anger and frankly Dean didn't have the energy to fight back,

"Uh huh."

"_Another_ loss. This time this one's on you man. I hope you know that. This one's _all_ on you."

Dean had winced again,

"Uh huh."

In hindsight – which as always, was wonderfully unhelpful – Roman would realize how quiet Dean had been. Dean who could talk a dog down off a chuck wagon, Dean who sell the god damn Eskimos _snow_. Red flags had been flying like _hummingbirds_ around them and yet he hadn't seen them.

Neither Roman_ nor_ Seth had.

The car ride too had been more than a little silent. Dean hadn't even been tapping out a tune. Instead he had turned and leant his head against the window, letting the biting cold draw his mind off his injured ribs. The dull ache had spread until his midriff felt _warm_ inside.

That was hardly normal.

_Sleep it off, just sleep it off._

When they'd hit their hotel room, Dean had made straight for the sofa, lowering face down onto it and burying his head into the folds. With his mouth pressed tightly down into the pillow, he could exhale bodily for the first time, stifling the moan of agony into the fabric and hoping his brothers hadn't heard.

"Dean, you alright man? You want some ice?"

He'd shaken his head in reply to Seth's question as Roman had growled quietly and stalked back and forth. A blanket had been deposited somewhat roughly on Dean's ass cheeks and he had groped for it blindly and pathetically given up. He wasn't entirely sure who had thrown it, but he knew for a fact it was Seth that flapped it out, still pissed off but at the very least still _partly_ caring and Dean was ridiculously grateful for that,

"Sure I can't get you anything for the pain man?"

Dean shook his head and bit down hard,

"_N-no_."

Seth seemed to hang around beside him for a second, but then he sighed and threw his hands up in frustration at him,

"Fine."

By curling on his side and drawing his knees in, Dean soon realized he could be moderately snug. The pulsating pain seemed to dull ever so slightly and there was a chance – a vague chance – that he could actually get some rest.

In fact, for an unknown amount of time he even managed it. Or, at least, Dean _assumed_ he did, since one minute the lights were on and Seth and Roman were moving round him and then suddenly it was dark and neither man was making a sound. As far as Dean was concerned he'd just blinked a little bit, but clearly a longer period of time had slipped past.

To be begin with he didn't even know _why_ he had woken but then the pain came back to him, searing and strong.

"_Ah, fuck_ – ,"

It hit him like a freight train that was towing _another _freight train and then possibly a heavy duty tank behind that. The dulled ache that had been throbbing at his midriff seemed to have intensified and zeroed itself in, setting up camp on the right hand side and sending jolts through his poor battered body like he was being freaking lanced by a _knife_.

A hot knife that was being fucking _twisted_.

Dean's head spun and his itchy skin was prickling as beads of sweat began to seep up, coating his body from every pore in existence and threading across his scalp until his whole _head_ felt wet. The breath tore out of him in frantic hitched exhales and the assault made his brain swing.

_Crap._

He was going to throw up.

Rolling off the sofa he landed fairly clumsily, groaning as the shift made the stabbing speed up. The bathroom was only a short stagger from his bedroll and he made it – _just_ – by stumbling like a drunk. Somehow he even managed to quietly push the door shut and turn on the light, not wanting to wake his slumbering teammates up, but that was the last thing he did before his legs failed and he tumbled onto the floor and used the toilet seat to rest his head.

"Ugh, _f-fuck_."

The nausea hit in a split second later and he turned his head to empty it out, coughing and retching and still sweating fiercely until he was nothing but a hot and unpalatable mess.

Something was wrong.

Something was _really_ fucking wrong with him, but he simply didn't have the strength to call out. Each time he tried the agony took hold of him and stole away his voice until all he could do was moan. Sucking in air became the primary focus.

That and trying to alleviate the pain.

As soon as the first wave of nausea had passed him, he curled up on the floor and went through the whole thing again, the heat still prickling across his whole body but actual shivers setting in as well.

Shock.

_Shit_.

That wasn't a good sign.

"_R-R'man, S-S'th_."

It was more of a whisper – pathetic, like he was – then swallowed by another wave. Dean's sweaty hands fumbled roughly on the toilet lid, fighting amongst themselves just to keep hold as he retched again, his dull blue eyes tearing as his body rebelled angrily. He didn't know how much longer he could honestly cope.

Surely it would be easier to just curl up and die there?

Kiss goodbye to his newly painful world.

In fact, he was actually considering those merits when the door creaked open and a voice called out,

"Dean?"

It was baffled and sleep-studded but so completely welcome that the invalid had to choke down an actual sob. A tall, broad figure was silhouetted in the doorway, squinting down at him,

"_F-fuck_, R-Roman."


	2. Two

**Chapter two in the shameless tale of Dean whump and brotherly worry. You're welcome!**

**Rebel8954, You're wish is my command...here is more!**

**Wolfgirl2013, Thanks!**

**SkittlezLvr79, Yep, definitely the good old days of The Shield. Have been meaning to go back and watch the old matches again. I have an itching to write me some more old stuff!**

**Caz21, Poor Dean is definitely the theme in this one. It's going to get worse before it gets better too, although maybe not in the way you'd expect!**

**Guest, Hope you enjoy this next instalment!**

**Fairytale, Hi there. Well, not sure if we knows he's okay yet, but here is some more Dean for you, as promised!**

**xXBalorbabeXx, Yep, Dean is in the wars again. Although that's how we love him best, am I right?!**

**Skovko, Men are horrible at asking for help, and especially Shield men, lol!**

**Minnie1015, This one is only a teeny, tiny short thing, but sometimes I get an angsty idea and it has to be written (also, this one is multiple angst, so you should be happy by the end!)**

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, Awww, thanks! This is just a short and um...sweet but also not so sweet little ditty. Glad you're enjoying!**

**Roman to the rescue! **

* * *

**Appendicitis**

**\- 2 -**

Roman had woken to something unsettling and for the first few seconds, he didn't know what. It was more like a feeling of something being _off-kilter_, like his subconscious had dug in and slapped his senses back up. Warning signs were going off in his brain like crazy but couldn't work out why.

Then he saw a light on.

A yellow glow was spilling around the door of the bathroom and he frowned at it sleepily as he picked up on a noise. Well, several noises and none of them comforting –

The sound of splashing liquid and intermittent, pain-filled groans.

Rolling from his bed Roman stood up unsteadily and started to thread his way across the room. At one point he collided with an abandoned piece of luggage and his toe cracked which caused a stifled curse of his own,

"Crap."

"Keep it down man," Seth grumbled back at him in a brief, lucid moment, "Keep it down."

Clearly the youngest of Roman's two brothers had not picked up on the same warning signs he had. But then again, Seth had always slept like a dead man. He and Dean on the other hand, not so much.

_Dean_.

If Seth was still safely tucked in beneath his bedsheets then it had to be Dean who was holed up behind the door and so twisting the handle, Roman rapped on the doorframe then stepped inside squinting into the light,

"Dean?"

"_F-fuck_, R-Roman."

The tones made his heart lurch. Dean sounded frightened. He _never_ sounded like that. In truth precious little seemed to faze Dean Ambrose, but there he was sounding like a god damn lost child.

"Dean? What's wrong?"

A noise whimpered back at him, part-exhale, part long drawn-out groan.

With the brightness of the halogens blazing above him, it took Roman's eyes a few moments to adjust, the features of the room falling into place around him – the shower, the cabinet, his teammate on the floor –

What?

_Shit_.

Roman quickly ducked beside him, placing a hand on the curled-up man's shoulder and freezing at the way his whole body shook. The heat was coming off the copper blonde in _surges _but while his cheeks were pink with temperature the rest of his face was grey. Dulled blue eyes slid up to meet his brown ones and the fear and suffering in the gaze was intense.

"_Hurts _– ,"

"What does babe?" Roman pressed keenly, reaching across and sweeping back the sweaty bangs, "What hurts?"

"Stomach," Dean mumbled, shuddering a breath in, speaking on the exhales, "M' s-stomach hurts."

Bending across him Roman snatched up a washcloth, turning and running it beneath the cold tap. His head was spinning as he wrung out the loose drips, trying to process what the hell was going on. Dean was tough. In fact his toughness was legendary. In his wrestling career he'd done _a lot_ of painful shit. Yet there he was writhing on the floor in total agony, so whatever was going on with him, it had to be big.

"You need a doctor?"

Dean let out a whimper, turning and burying his face into the rug.

"_Hurts_ – ," he repeated with another groan of suffering and Roman turned back towards the bedroom.

"_Seth_, get in here."

As Dean rolled over on his back, Roman grabbed him, keeping him in place and dropping the washcloth down. His teammate's shaking body jolted sharply at the contact but then he exhaled a little,

"_Mmm_, that f-feels good."

From somewhere behind the door there was a sleepy creak of bed springs and Seth's grumpy voice.

"What're you shouting about man?"

"Something's wrong with Dean," Roman called back at him, not bothering to sugar-coat it because what was the point?

In response there was a quick and clumsy flurry of footsteps and then a mildly panicked Seth burst in through the door, flinging it open with such frantic purpose that it almost caved Dean's skull in.

Luckily Roman grabbed it first.

"What? What does that mean? Oh _shit – _," Seth's gaze dropped downwards, adjusting to the scene with impressive awareness considering that he'd just been fast asleep, "What happened? Dean?"

The answer he got was another pain filled mumble and an intake of breath,

"M' gonna – ,"

That was it.

The next thing they knew, Dean was suddenly upright, hunched across the toilet bowl and being roundly sick. Seth recoiled from it ever so slightly, stooping to freshen the washcloth instead. Roman on the other hand – moving in to full on _Dad Mode_ – shuffled in closer and gently rubbed at Dean's back,

"Alright babe, alright,"

"Fuckin' h_-hate_ this."

"Just try and take it easy uce – I know it's rough."

Once the ugly sounding retching was over, Dean once again folded down onto the ground, letting Seth move in to reposition the washcloth while Roman reached up to flush the bile away. Dean's whole body was still wracked by shivers and feeling them beneath his fingers, Seth looked up,

"What the hell's wrong with him?"

"Think it might be his appendix."

Seth's mouth gaped a little,

"You – what?"

"Think about it," Roman shrugged back as Dean trembled, "He took that spear tonight right in the gut. Force like that could've easily damaged something."

"You think he needs the hospital?"

Roman nodded,

"And quick."

From the floor in between them, Dean let out a mumble and tried to push himself upright while shaking his head. The washcloth slithered off his face with a sodden squelching noise and Seth reached out and caught it in his palm, one hand steadying their ashen-faced teammate as he suddenly tried to make out like nothing was wrong,

"N-no, no hospital, s' all good, m' alright now."

Seth raised a brow at him,

"Dean, you're not."

"Jus' need sleep, I jus' need some s-shut eye."

Roman heaved a sigh,

"Sorry babe, not this time."

It was a strange and unexplored oddity in Ambrose. The fact he liked doctors but _hated_ hospitals. As far as Roman had been able to figure it, his enmity was a throwback from having lived a rough life. Hospitals were for death or people who couldn't handle.

Well Dean _could_ handle.

He could handle a lot.

Unfortunately however, in this specific incidence, he didn't get the luxury of having a say and so shifting to distribute the added weight more evenly, Roman got a firm grip under Dean's arm. The second he did, his teammate tried to pull away from him, shaking his sweaty head weakly,

"F-fuck you – ,"

"Easy man," Seth soothed back at him, "Look, we'll be there with you. The whole time, alright?"

"Fuckin' bein' _kidnapped _over here," Dean groused bitterly, then he screwed his eyes shut and let out a yelp. His body doubled over and he almost fell forward, although Roman just managed to grab him again,

"Whoa."

"Dean?" Seth pressed as his brother dragged breaths in, making continual little pained sounds. Whatever was going on – or for that matter _wrong_ – with him, the torturous agony was steadily getting worse.

On the plus side however, it made Roman's argument and the big man grumbled and continued to pull him up,

"Come on."

Dean rose onto his feet very gingerly, wincing as he stood in a hunched semi-crouch. It was by no means the most mobile or easy of positions but it seemed to make Dean comfortable and so Roman let it go, supporting his teammate as the copper blonde shuffled in a slow and unsteady walk towards the door.

"That's it man, you're doing good."

Dean said nothing, he was just focusing on walking and that in itself was outward proof of how he felt. The Lunatic Fringe was never quiet about _anything_, especially not something that he didn't want to do.

"Fuck – ,"

"You okay?" Roman rumbled deeply, "You gonna throw up again?"

"No, m' good."

All the while that they were inching towards the corridor, Seth was darting like a maniac around the room. Snatching up clothes and an assortment of items including the trashcan which he waggled at them,

"For the car."

As it turned out however, they needed it in the elevator and then a _second_ time in the lobby as well. Their teammate hurling – and them in their nightclothes – succeeded in drawing more than a few bewildered stares but beyond getting Dean some medical attention, neither Seth or Roman much seemed to care. Once at the car, they laid Dean across the backseat, with Seth sliding in as well, to pillow his brother's head. Roman drove, glancing frequently into the mirror where he could see the pallid face bobbing, eyes closed.

"Hold on babe," he intoned on occasion, to Dean _and_ himself, "Hold on, we're almost there."


	3. Three

**Part three coming your way! Prepare for more heartache in this one, although maybe not in the way you might expect. This was the first idea I had for this story and everything else was built around it. What can I say? I love me some angsty Dean stories!**

**xXBalorBabeXx, Definitely **_**owie**_**. Although at least Dean has grudgingly agreed to go to hospital. Or maybe not, but he's letting Seth and Roman drag him anyway!**

**Minnie1015, Ha, well I know you like the angst! Consider this chapter angst special with sides of super caring brothers. Is there anything better?**

**Wolfgirl2013, Thank you! Dean will pull through, but it's going to get worse before it gets better!**

**Guest, Hi, thanks!**

**Rebel8954, Actually, my mind went a different way with this story (as you will see in this chapter!) so Dean is actually quite compliant. Also, he's in a lot of pain, so I'll chalk it up to that!**

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, Yeah, Dean being on his own with a rupturing internal organs would have been **_**very**_** bad. Luckily Roman and Seth are never too far away!**

**SkittlezLvr79, I'm really keen to do some stuff with the early evil Shield boys. But I think I need to go back and rewatch them to get loveable pup Dean out of my head! **

**Skovko, Dean will always fight! He's like a angry little gerbil. Fortunately in this case though he can't do much except let Roman drag him to get help! Go Roman!**

**Hayley1001, Hello! Aww, thanks for stopping by. Lurking and shadowing is good. Life gets crazy sometimes, don't worry, I know it. Thanks for reviewing on this one though!**

**HannonsPen, Yay! We can get the party started now! As for what I've done to Dean...um...nothing? (Much). Come on, you know you love it!**

**No pain, no gain...**

* * *

**Appendicitis**

**\- 3 -**

Waiting – as with anything – was the worst part of the process because all they could do was sit helplessly and stare.

"_Shouldn't take long_."

Those had been the doctor's words when they had taken Dean away almost three hours before. Since then there had been nothing, just magazines and coffee cups as they had whiled away the minutes by staring at the clock.

"_Geez_," Seth grumbled, standing up restlessly like he had been repeatedly every thirty seconds or so, "What the hell is taking them so long?"

"They're removing his appendix. They'll be done when they're done."

It was a calm but growled answer and the best Roman could manage without launching to his feet and pacing as well. Dean had been given his own room for the duration but it wasn't big enough to take them _both_ stalking round.

"But it's already been an hour – ,"

"I _know_ Seth, alright? God damn it man, I know."

The bark echoed round them and ushered in a silence that forced the smaller man into his chair with a groan. It wasn't Seth's fault that he was so fucking antsy – that was his _thing_ and Roman _expected_ him to blow – but at the same time the Big Man was teetering on the precipice and barely holding on to his frustrations himself.

Dean had been hurt by the spear.

They had known it.

But they – no, _he_ – had been so pissed about losing that he hadn't even asked or once bothered to check. What the hell kind of teammate did that make him? His brother could have died and it would have been down to him.

"Shit."

"Hey man," Seth snapped, knowing the thoughts instantly and probably having had similar himself, "Don't go there. This isn't your fault, alright? This one's on both of us, you hear? It's on _Christian_. Hell, it's even on Dean for not fucking telling us how bad he felt. So you can sit here and play the pity game or suck it up and handle it, because when he comes back he's gonna need the _both_ of us."

It was a forceful but powerful monologue-come-pep-talk and so unexpected that Roman merely blinked, gazing up at the littlest of his brothers and shaking his head compliantly,

"Okay, I'll suck it up."

"Good."

The clock on the far wall _tick-tocked_ loudly and in the renewed – but cooled down – silence, Roman sighed and unfurled his legs.

Seth was right, it had been a long time.

Or, at least, it certainly _felt_ like that.

It was officially three hours since Dean had gone to surgery and three and_ half_ hours since they had dragged him in through the doors, sweating and throwing up into a trashcan, in between shivering and unleashing painful moans.

They had half deposited him onto the admissions desk, much to the alarm of the harried night clerk, at which point – thankfully – a doctor had strolled past them and stopped at the sight before narrowing her eyes,

"_Nausea? Pain in the lower right abdomen_?"

Seth had nodded at her keenly,

"_Uh huh_. _He took a blow to the midsection earlier. It hurt, but now the pain's getting worse_."

The doctor had swooped up a fresh sheet of paperwork and summoned them briskly,

"_Alright, follow me_."

Acute appendicitis had been diagnosed soon after and Dean's place on the surgery list confirmed after that. Of course, since then almost nothing had happened and the waiting was agony and achingly intense.

Dean's admission form sat on Roman's kneecap but he hadn't filled it out yet. He couldn't concentrate on that. What he wanted – what he _needed_ – was his brother back with them and just as soon as that happened, he would pick up the pen.

Ten minutes later, the door opened up again and Seth and Roman half-exploded from their seats.

"Dean?"

Some orderlies were pushing the bed in, flanked by the doctor who was flipping through some charts. Dean lay on the sheets, looking pale against the linen but otherwise not much different from when they'd seen him last.

Except for the fact that he was asleep.

Oh, and had heart rate monitor threading from his hand.

The doctor – in the panic they'd never caught her name – continued to hover by the side of the bed, artfully ignoring the two panicking wrestlers as she checked her notes and performed what Roman assumed were _doctor things_. Her unruffled demeanour was at once reassuring, but Seth being Seth, that wasn't quite enough.

"So what's going on? Is he okay? You got it all out or whatever?"

She looked up, her green eyes darting head to toe appraisingly before turning and folding Dean's chart in her arms,

"Yes, you'll be glad to hear the surgery was successful, _textbook_ in fact, he'll be waking up soon."

Clearly the implication was that she didn't like him doubting her, but the long-haired athlete was too relieved to pick that up, running both hands through his locks in pent-up tension and blowing a breath out long and hard,

"Thank god man, thank god."

His relief briefly softened her and the doctor pursed her lips and nodded her head,

"Well, I'm not sure _he_ had much to do with it but the bottom line is, your friend's going to be fine. He'll be a little confused when he comes round, the effect of the anaesthesia as I'm sure you know. You probably won't be able to get a lot out of him – ,"

Roman snorted,

"Never do."

"Yes well," she bit a wry smirk down, "Less so than usual in that case I'm afraid. It'll wear off soon enough though, so don't be alarmed by it. Just call the bell if you need some assistance but we'll be in to check on him every so often throughout the night, just to monitor how he's getting on."

There was a momentary silence as they gazed towards the patient, Seth stepping closer and grazing fingers across Dean's hand. Partly to reassure himself their brother was still with them and partly to give Dean the self-same sense as well.

Roman cleared his throat a little, glancing over at the medic,

"Thank you."

"Please, I'm just doing my job. I'll leave you boys to it then, for the moment, but I'll be back later."

Then she strode from the room, her long white coat flapping grandly behind her as she tried to pretend that she didn't give a damn. Roman pegged her for one of those people who excelled academically but was bad with the social stuff.

Kinda like Dean.

Pretending you didn't care was a good means of coping but it didn't mean everyone would always buy the act. Seth and Roman didn't buy it in their teammate and for the same reasons Roman wasn't really buying it with her.

"Don't think I've ever seen him this still before," Seth put in quietly, breaking through his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Even when he's sleeping he's tossing and turning, even _talking_ sometimes, you know?"

That part was true. Dean was a light sleeper, not to mention a sleep _walker_ as well. When they'd all first started bunking together, his nocturnal habits had frequently kept them up, but over the months it had just become normal.

Another crazy factor which made Dean – well – _Dean_.

"Yeah, I know. You heard what she said though? He's gonna be fine man. He's gonna be fine. Probably be up and bitching by the morning. Chewing us out for dragging his ass here."

Seth grinned broadly,

"Oh yeah, he'll be _pissed_ for sure."

But not in any pain.

Neither man said it, although it was the solitary thought that threaded through their minds. If he shut his eyes Roman could still see Dean writhing, scrunching his face up as he curled up on the floor. The visual made him huff a little breath out and he suddenly leant in over the bed, palming Dean's dried-out bangs back fondly and holding them in place as he whispered against the ear,

"You're all good now uce, you wanna come back for us?"

"He can't hear you Roman."

The Big Man grunted,

"He can hear."

Again he tousled the off blonde locks caringly, needing at the scalp with his thick finger pads. Across the bed Seth flopped down into an armchair, leaning back and propping his feet up on the edge. Roman watched him do it with a sigh of resignation before whispering again,

"Whenever you're ready babe, we're here."


	4. Four

**Time for a little bit of a curveball in this one! Hope you're ready!**

**Wolfgirl2013, Thank you!**

**xXBalorBabeXx, Actually no, Christian gets away kind of scot free in this one! Mainly because their beef with him IRL was so short. Could have been longer IMO, but then I'm not a WWE booker or writer (god damn it!)**

**SkittlezLvr79, Concerned Roman and Seth is literally my favourite thing in the world and they were so good at it in the early Shield days...and the later Shield days...and the reunion and...well, you get the point! It just seems so natural for them to worry about their Deano!**

**Guest, I know, I am mean to Dean sometimes, but there's method in my madness. Or, okay, maybe not. Maybe I just like getting him banged up a bit! Don't judge me!**

**Skovko, Haha, well, it's not that kind of a story, but I'll bear the kissing thing in mind for real life, or maybe Dean and Lauren sometime? I can only imagine what Dean would say if his brothers tried that with him! I think they would all end up in hospital beds!**

**Cheryl24, Christian just rides off into the sunset to do...um...whatever Christian was doing in the summer of 2013. Wait, wasn't he mostly feuding with The Authority with Edge? I honestly can't remember now (hits brain).**

**HannonsPen, Yep, angst and guilt and hurt and lots more guilt going on with Seth and Roman right now and especially Roman since he was so pissy with Dean before. Big Dog feels bad.**

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, Thanks, I figure that even though Roman's the tough stoic one, he needs someone to knock him out of his funk from time to time. Enter Seth, stage left, lol!**

**Wakey wakey Dean...**

* * *

**Appendicitis**

**\- 4 -**

As it turned out the doctor wasn't lying when she told them that Dean would wake up confused. Nor was he just bewildered or baffled, he was actually borderline _mentally regressed_.

He came to gradually, both frowning and mumbling, muttering incoherently and shaking his head. On hearing it both Seth and Roman shot forward, trying to rouse him,

"Dean? Hey man."

"Babe?"

Blue eyes squinted back at them, deeply suspicious and sleep fogged all in one narrowed look. Dean's tongue poked out and wet his lips quickly, then retreated back lizard-like into his mouth,

"S' he comin'?"

His first words weren't especially coherent and in response Roman leaned close and again palmed the hair,

"Huh? Is who coming?"

"My grandpa. S' he here yet?"

Roman glanced at Seth and they both shared a look.

_Shit_.

Dean had been ridiculously close to the grandparents on his maternal side. His grandmother had died when he'd still been quite young, but his grandfather had been a rare constant in his life. Providing the kind of role-model that his real father hadn't and shoring up the gaps when it all became too much. He didn't talk about him that often – only sometimes – but the snapshots he had given them were more than enough. Now here he was clearly flung back into childhood and looking for the man who had given him security long before either of the two of them had.

The required response was a total non-brainer, so Seth gave it with a nod,

"Yeah man, he's on his way. Asked us to look after your ass while you were waiting. That alright?"

Dean blinked at them,

"_Mmmm_. Don't tell Seth n' Roman though."

"Tell 'em what?"

"Seth n' Roman are mad at me right now."

A frown passed lightly over Dean's features and he shut his eyes again and began to wave his hand, acting like he was trying to swat off a dragonfly or brush aside a cobweb that had gotten in his path. Roman caught his arm, stilling the motion and lowering it back onto the bedsheets with care.

"Why would they be mad at you uce? You haven't done anything."

Dean grumbled,

"Lost the match. Wasn't watchin' Christian – ,"

Roman sighed heavily and dropped his head down.

_God damn._

"Hey," Seth intoned, barking almost sharply and making Dean's addled blue orbs swing his way, "That was _not _your fault, alright man? That shit happens. They're not mad anymore."

"Couldn't stay mad at you for very long anyway," Roman rumbled smoothly, stroking Dean's thumb, "You're their partner. You scared the crap outta them."

Their teammate shook his head,

"M' no good if I can't fight."

In response to Dean's sad and closed-eye statement, Seth got up and gripped his friend's head, clamping his hands against the invalid's cheekbones and making the man look up at him,

"Don't talk like that. So what if you can't get in the ring for a couple weeks? You really think we'd pack you up and send you home? You can still come out with us. Hell, you can do commentary. Bottom line here is we're keeping you close."

Roman smiled, his own thoughts echoing the sentiments and hoping that their battered brother similarly understood. Unfortunately however, it appeared that he didn't because he twisted from Seth's grip and blearily gazed around the room,

"Where's my grandpa?"

_Christ_ this was difficult.

Seth bit a lump down,

"It's okay, he'll be here soon."

"I – I don't wanna go home, he'll just hit me."

Both men froze.

What the hell was_ this_ now?

"Hit you?" Roman parroted the words back carefully, his brows drawing in, "Who'll hit you uce?"

"Boyfriend. I can't – can't remember his name."

Dean turned suddenly and roughly towards the pillow, clearly getting tired of lying on his back. The movement startled them and disturbed the heartrate monitor which pinged off his finger and landed on the bed.

Not that anyone paid much attention.

Suddenly there were far _bigger_ things going on.

"Boyfriend?" Seth pressed in confusion, "_What_ boyfriend? You talking about someone that dated your mom?"

Dean nodded wearily,

"He's big. Don't like him. He gets real angry. Doesn't like me much. I spilt my juice. That's why I'm in here. He told me to be careful and I wasn't. I'm clumsy. Don't make me go home."

It was the first time that either of them had seen Dean frightened. As in genuinely, helplessly and openly afraid. Their Dean – _adult Dean_ – had been known to do cautious and at times even uncertain, but never much more. This Dean however – _baby Dean_ – was terrified and it threw up a surge of sudden protective rage.

Roman clenched his fists and sucked a quick breath in.

Dean had been beaten up as a kid.

It was something that the two of them had always suspected, but it had never been properly or fully confirmed. Here it was though, in slurred but clear English.

Dean had been beaten up as a kid.

"How old are you uce?"

The question was a sudden one and asked so abruptly that even Seth frowned, but Roman was working on the gaps that needed filling and the answer would settle it once and for all.

"Nine."

Seth bit down a curse and dropped his head forwards, clearly trying to process his thoughts. Dean watched him closely, still seeming bewildered and on seeing it, Roman laid a palm across his chest. The warmth of the hand drew the copper blonde's attention and he turned his head to stare back at the other man.

"Don't worry babe," Roman rumbled back at him, trying to bite down the sheer helplessness he felt, "You're not going home, alright? We'll protect you. He's never going to hurt you again."

Dean blinked,

"You're a nice guy. Do I – do I know you?"

Roman snorted,

"I'm your brother."

Dean's fogged eyes grew wide,

"My brother? Fuck. I never – never had a brother before. How long we been brothers for?"

"Long enough man, long enough."

For a second Dean merely stared back in astonishment, his eyes blinking slowly as unknown thoughts swung round his head. Lifting up his hand, he pointed at Seth curiously,

"He my brother too?"

"You'd better believe I am."

Almost as if the revelation was simply too much for him, Dean dropped his back against the pillow with a thud. Gradually the blinks became more and more sluggish and Roman clued into them,

"You wanna sleep some more now?"

Dean nodded wearily and Seth reached out and patted him, gently tapping soothing fingers against his arm,

"Go ahead man, we're not going anywhere."

"My grandpa – ,"

"Not a problem, we'll wake you up once he's here."

In response to the assurance, Dean's eyes ranged round to Roman and the Big Man nodded his head up and down, unable to stop his hand from brushing through the hair again, as if he could rub him back to normal through the mop.

"You promise?"

"Sure uce," Roman rubbed his temples, "I promise."

"Uce?"

"It means brother."

Dean shut his eyes,

"I like that."

Then, within seconds, their banged up teammate was asleep.


	5. Five

**This little story is marching on then, only one more chapter left after this (told you it was going to be a short but kind of sweet one and I really wasn't lying!)**

**LHisawesome4ever, Haha, I wish I had followed it that far, but I'm afraid Dean was only regressed while groggy from surgery. Grumpy asshole Dean is definitely back for this chapter!**

**Minnie1015, Aww, sending hugs to the toddler and also his poor mother! Not so much brotherly love in this chapter, but lots and lots of it in the next one to round things up (because, of course!)**

**SkittlezLvr79, Yep, emotional guttings are my speciality. Although, don't worry, normal service is resumed here. More emotions coming up next chapter. Be back here for the fun times!**

**Wolfgirl2013, Thanks!**

**Rebel8954, Yeah, poor Dean, can only get his life stories out when he's drunk or recovering from major surgery. Still, at least it gives them a glimpse into his childhood. Now they just need to talk about it...eventually!**

**xXBalorBabeXx, Aww, angry Shield Dean would probably not appreciate your hug, but later, lovable goofball Dean would. Angry Shield Dean is probably best touched only with a stick or a long pole!**

**Skovko, Good news, they do have a chat about it...next chapter! So you'll have to hang on for that. For now however, we have wrestling chaos!**

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, People say all sorts of things when they're coming round from surgery and they can get confused about things like age (can be hilarious) but yeah, it seemed too good an angle to pass up!**

**Back to the wrestling... **

* * *

**Appendicitis**

**\- 5 -**

The point at which things had gone straight into the shitter was debatable depending on how far back you looked.

Because _technically_ their latest little issue had started when Mark Henry had charged down to the ring, but if you wanted to work on cause and effect models then the whole thing had started when Christian had hit that spear.

That spear that had basically ruptured Dean's appendix.

That spear which had seen him out of commission for the last three weeks.

He'd spent the first few days recovering at Seth's house, because Roman had a kid and post-surgery Dean evidently swore. _A hell of a lot_. But after that he'd been back on the road with them, doing all the things they'd told him he would. He came with them to ringside as a gruff and bratty cheerleader, he commented on matches, he hung around backstage. In essence – apart from no physical wrestling – things weren't much different than they'd ever been.

Until Mark fucking Henry had got up in their grill again and seen fit to try and turn things on their head. A simple tag match, that was how it was _supposed_ to be. So at what exact moment had it all gone so wrong?

In hindsight, Dean pulling an Uso leg hadn't helped things. But _said_ leg had been about to kick Seth in the head and besides which the referee's eyes had been averted and it hadn't been vicious. It was innocuous at best.

But from it an entire freaking brouhaha had started and that – apparently – had brought out the beast. There was no particular rhyme or reason, or at least, _Dean_ didn't think there was. Because okay, so maybe he'd got a few kicks in but otherwise he'd stayed out of things.

Doctor's orders and all that.

It certainly wasn't their usual three-on-two deal, so there was no good cause for Mark Henry to show up. It was petty, it was unwarranted and it was totally unwelcome and as the crowd went wild, Dean's stomach rolled.

"Oh shit."

He scrambled from the ring – he'd gone in to help his brothers and only when both Uso boys were well and truly down – and back out to the floor in a heartbeat, backing up until he was nudging the barrier wall. One arm hovered protectively before his abdomen, which was gradually repairing but still not quite up to scratch. The last thing he needed was _The World's Strongest Meathead_ burying a fist into the middle of his ribs.

Best he stayed well out of things.

Just this time.

Evidently Seth concurred,

"Dean, stay there man, alright? Me and the big man got this."

Although right from the off it didn't seem as if they had. When it was the _three_ of them they struggled to take down Henry, so Seth and Roman were not exactly who the smart money was on. Despite that though, they went for him gamely, trading punches and getting up whenever he pushed them down.

_Bring it on._

Dean stood watching them, his clenched fists twitching as he trembled and positively _itched_ to get involved and beat their adversary into some sort of pancake. At one point he even stepped in closer bodily, but as he landed against the ring post Roman shook his head,

_No_.

Him not fighting was the definitely the right decision, but _damn_ if it wasn't agonizingly hard. Seth in particular was being swatted off _fly-like_ although his tenacious little brother was springing right back up.

"Come on Henry. You really want a piece of this?"

Dean almost groaned at the smaller man.

_Shut up._

Predictably Seth was quickly put down again and Roman joined him a millisecond after that. The two of them were lying on their backs next to each other and Mark Henry grinned and bounced back against the ropes.

Dean's entire heart shot out of his ribcage and launched almost physically into his throat.

_Crap_.

Mark fucking Henry – biggest guy on the roster – was about to _bug squish_ both his brothers in one go. Dean ran hands through his hair in consternation. He couldn't let it happen. But what could he do? Already the big guy was building up momentum, vaulting the prone men to bounce ever faster back and forth.

When he landed he was going to crush them.

No way in _hell_ was Dean letting that go down.

His reaction was instinctive and pretty badly thought-out, but as Henry ran in, Dean jumped up and grabbed the ropes, pulling the top string down with pinch-faced effort and then flinching as _The_ _World's Strongest Man_ rolled back, tumbling past him like a lycra-clad avalanche and then landing with a crash on the semi-soft mats.

"_Oooof._"

Based on the genuinely guttural exhalation, Dean assumed he had bought them some time. A precious few moments to rouse his groggy teammates and get them the hell out of there, although when it stood it was to a stab of pain.

"_Ah_. The fuck?"

Clearly having heaved his weight against the ring ropes was not something his still sore body had liked and although he knew he hadn't done lasting damage, it was reminder enough that he was by no means at full strength.

The discomfort briefly stalled him hunched on the apron, but evidently those were seconds he simply didn't have because as he tried to duck through towards his brothers, a large paw shot out and latched around his foot.

_Not good._

As it yanked him backwards he crashed down heavily, putting his hands out to pillow his fall. He hit the edge of the ring almost gracefully but the same could not be said of the floor, which flew up to meet him as he tumbled towards the matting, barely giving him time to spin round.

He landed on his side and shoulder blade forcefully but it wasn't his midriff and for the moment that was fine. Well, not _fine_ exactly since the impact pushed the wind out of him, but better than rupturing his stitches he supposed. For a second he lay there – wheezing and breathless – then big hands came down and snatched up his hair.

"Hey – ,"

His protests fell on deaf and angry ears as Mark Henry hauled him upright by the follicles of his head, grunting and snorting like a damn steroidal bullock who had spotted an intruder in the corner of his field. Dean tried to fight it – tried to make himself floppy – but not even _that_ could stop the bigger man and so the second the Hound of Justice was back on his feet again, Henry shoved him forwards.

Into the barricade.

_Hard_.

"Ah – ,"

Once again Dean managed to twist himself on impact but there was no real disguising that the collision fucking _hurt_ and nor did it seem that the wrathfulness was over because as he tried to step off, the man monolith moved in, reaching out even as Dean threw his hands up and called out desperately,

"God damn it, I'm _injured_ here."

Henry grunted but didn't say anything and Dean tensed bodily and let his eyes snap shut.

That was it.

He was going to be a pancake.

A very flat, very _no-appendix_ kinda one.

"Hey Henry."

The voice seemed to come from behind them and instantly Dean knew the sharp tones to be Seth's. He blinked up just as his brother came in airborne, landing like a squirrel across the giant's back. It wasn't exactly the most well-planned of rescues – since Henry merely turned and flipped him straight off – but what it _did_ do was allow their other teammate to move in, which is exactly and swiftly what their own Big Man did.

In the time it took for Dean to cough wearily, Roman had inserted himself into the space, sliding fluidly between Dean and his enemy and holding up –

Dean grinned viciously.

_A chair_.

The first crack of metal caught Mark across the shoulders and then a _second_ time as the colossus reared back. A vertical dig to the kidneys promptly followed before the same technique caught the ribcage as well.

"_Again_," Seth shouted, where he was staggering back upright, gingerly holding the back of his head. Roman complied with another round of battering before something bright suddenly stirred back up in the ring.

The Uso brothers were slowly coming round again and as they stumbled onto the matting, Roman dropped the chair, grabbing hold of Dean and pushing him behind him as Seth fell in-step alongside them,

"Let's go."

Together the three of them shuffled for the exit stairs, Roman shepherding his brothers the whole way.

Dean slid painfully over the barricade and Seth hopped over and helped him to stand, bellowing into his ear as they retreated through the yells and occasional pats of the crowd,

"Hey, you alright man? Did he get ya? You alright, huh?"

Dean nodded gruffly, still cradling his midriff and sounding kind of _wasted_,

"Yeah, m' alright."

Pushing him towards the exit doors, Roman frowned hotly, his face a mask of anger.

"That was too close."


	6. Six

**Here we are, the final chapter and in this one the boys sit down and have a talk. Expect brother feels and angry Dean as standard!**

**xXBalorBabeXx, Roman is definitely pissed off. Seems like that was his go-to during the Shield days. Plus Dean was out there putting himself in harms' way. Mother Hen Roman is back in this chapter as a sweet final flourish!**

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, Awww, thank you. Hope you like the end of this little story and hopefully I'll see you on my next posting(s) too!**

**Wolfgirl2013, Yay! Thank you, I like being awesome!**

**Minnie1015, I knew you'd like that chapter. You love your actions (almost as much as you love your angst!) Mark Henry is like Big Show to me, because he's be good and bad so much, I find myself oddly fond of him whatever! But he's definitely a bad guy here.**

**SkittlezLvr79, Evil Shield Dean could never help himself though could he? Always had to be in there being a heel and trying to help his team take the advantage. I love me some scowling, pouty evil Shield Dean!**

**Mandy, Yay! Hello! Knew you'd get here eventually. This is only a little thing that popped into my head, but I had to get it down on paper. Especially because it's all our boys together and a proper wrestling story, which I haven't done in forever! Glad you're liking it!**

**Skovko, Even injured Dean knows how to be a pain in the backside when it comes to matches. Even though he should probably know better or...oh, maybe not. This is Dean after all!**

**Last time...**

* * *

**Appendicitis**

**\- 6 -**

"What the hell were you _thinking_ out there?" Roman's angry shout echoed in off the door, barely letting the three of them get through it before the hot words assaulted them.

Dean looked up.

"What?"

"How many times do we have to tell you to stay outta things?"

"I was tryin'a help."

"You could've gotten yourself hurt."

As Seth moved in behind them and sealed off the locker room by shutting and then swiftly _locking _the door, his eyes swung over their recuperating brother and his slightly awkward posture.

"He already has."

In response to his suggestion Dean glared fiercely clearly seeing the sentence a betrayal. Not that it mattered, Roman was there instantly, yanking Dean's shirt up and laying fingers across his skin.

"Geez man, get off me."

"Where did he get you?"

Dean squirmed away from him,

"_Nowhere_ alright? Just knocked me into the barricade. Stop fuckin' touchin' me already. I'm _fine_."

Dropping his hands with a sigh of resignation, Roman stepped back and gave his head a weary shake. When he spoke again his tone was mildly calmer but he couldn't hide the sheer frustration he felt.

"He could've bust your stitches Dean."

"Yeah, well, he could've bust _your_ asses_. _Besides, what's with you and the whole _kid gloves_ act?"

Seth rolled his at him dramatically,

"Dean – ,"

But their invalid brother was not to be dissuaded, which was often the case once he got on a roll. Ranting Dean Ambrose was nobody's favourite but he was, undeniably, hard to ignore.

"No. Look, ever since I got outta the god damn hospital I can hardly take a _leak_ without you followin' me around. I mean, at first I assumed it was just the whole _appendix thing_ but that doesn't sit so right anymore."

"What do you mean?" Roman frowned back at him while Seth, as usual, proved to be more succinct.

"You just got through having surgery you moron, of course it's the _appendix thing_."

Dean shook his head,

"Nope, not this time. It's somethin' more than that. What the fuck aren't you tellin' me here?"

"Nothin' man, come on, you're sounding kinda crazy."

Dean's eyes flashed at Seth dangerously,

"_Don't."_

Around them the tension had suddenly increased tenfold and in the silence, Roman sucked it in and then sharply blew it out. Dean was not an idiot and what was more, he never had been. Impulsive, yes but an idiot, no. It was part of the reason he had steered them so adeptly as they had navigated the choppy waters of the cutthroat wrestling world. Dean Ambrose was aware and _always_ knew the landscape. Lying to him here would be akin to immolation and so Roman shrugged and reluctantly gave in,

"You mentioned something back in the hospital."

Dean's gaze narrowed suspiciously,

"When?"

"When you were starting to come round from the surgery," Seth shrugged vaguely, "You were pretty out of it man."

They had made a decision between them not to mention it – to spare the awkwardness – but that didn't matter now. Their teammate's blue eyes narrowed beneath the strip lights and his gaze bounced between them,

"What did I say?"

He almost seemed wary – like an injured wild animal – which meant they would probably have to ease him in slow. Unfortunately however before Roman could lead up to it, Seth got there first and blew it all to hell.

"You thought you were nine again, kept asking for your grandpa, told us your mom's boyfriend had been knocking you around."

Dean froze, cold horror flooding through his system and on seeing it Roman fought back a groan. What he _didn't _fight off was his urge to hurt Seth bodily and so he reached out and slapped him roundly across the skull.

"_Ow_. What the hell was that for?"

Roman gestured over, Dean was standing blinking but not saying a damn word.

"Uce? You alright?"

"What else did I tell you?"

His voice was a murmur rather than a question, gruff and hushed and dangerous as hell. Their teammate was right on the cusp of going loco and so the answer Roman gave him had to be right. Either that or face things coming undone.

"Nothing, alright? You just mentioned that one jackass. Said he beat you for spilling some juice."

Another mild pause shivered its way over them but thankfully Dean seemed to vaguely relax, unwinding very slightly as he came to the conclusion that he hadn't gabbled his life story away. Most of it they knew already but some of it – the worst of it – he kept to himself. Parts were locked away deep down inside of him to be revealed only by torture or under pain of death. His mother's shitty boyfriend might once have been part of that but since it was out there the damage was done.

What would it hurt to explain a little more to them?

But where did he start?

"The fucker broke my arm."

"What?"

Seth's bark echoed loudly round the locker room and ricocheted back in sharp tones of alarm. Clearly it wasn't the sentence that either had expected, although thankfully they seemed to catch on pretty fast and so Dean took a seat on the bench beside their carry-ons and rubbed his stitches absently with the fingers of one hand,

"He broke my arm one mornin' for knockin' over some orange juice, threw me against the doorjamb and it just kinda _snapped_. I screamed the place down."

"Not surprised," Seth snorted, "Was your mom there?"

"Yeah but she was pretty strung out. Gave me some ice and told me to get outta there. She didn't want me pissin' him off even more. I went to school. Guess I must 'a passed out on 'em. Next thing I know, I'm wakin' up in a hospital bed."

He'd said it pretty casually – like he almost always did when discussing things from him past that were awful and rough – but Roman replied with a growl just the same. The noise was instinctive, unbidden and primal, not to mention so damn defensive that it made Dean grin. Roman being an overprotective guard dog said things to him that mere words never could.

_Brother_.

_Family_.

Or best of all –

_You are loved_.

The knowledge of it took the aggression from Dean's countenance and he slumped back against the cold brick wall. The niggling pain in his abdomen had lessened into more of an outlying muscular pang. His ribs still hurt from slamming into the barrier but he knew from experience that those aches would heal.

Maybe so would some of the wounds from his childhood. He certainly felt better for getting them out. Sure, it sucked that he been saying shit unintentionally but it was only to Seth and Roman and they always had his back. In fact, he was so wrapped up in uncharacteristic _fuzzies_ that he almost missed what Roman said next, blinking up into the overhead lighting and frowning mildly,

"Huh?"

"I said did you grandad come and get you outta there? You know, back then when you – ,"

He gestured to Dean's arm,

"Oh, yeah, I – uh – I told him everythin', he took me back to his place for a lil' bit, 'til my mom kicked her asshole boyfriend to the curb."

Seth smiled over,

"Your grandad sounds pretty great man."

Dean paused vaguely before shrugging,

"He was. Kinda really fuckin' miss him sometimes. Y'know what I mean? He was just always _there_."

Moving on instinct Roman crossed the room towards him, dropping down and drawing him into a hug. It was a sudden, one-handed, half-_sideways_ envelopment and Dean briefly tensed before letting himself relax. His scruffy head pillowed against Roman's breastbone and they sat there, with the Big Man tousling the hair.

"I know uce," he rumbled soothingly, "I know you do."

Not exactly wanting to be excluded, Seth moved over towards them as well, landing heavily on the bench on Dean's other side and layering an arm across his weary shoulder blades,

"Hey, you got us now, remember?"

"Ugh, don't remind me," Dean mumbled sarcastically, tucked within in the safety of his adopted brothers' arms, "I'm already depressed here, you tryin'a make me end things?"

Roman ignored him,

"We're not going anywhere."

The sentence bled in through his bones and made him tingle but it was warm and familiar and it felt fucking _good_. In the moment he wanted to tell them what that meant to him, wanted to tell them what _they_ meant to him. But the words got lost in a sudden burst of awkwardness that stole them away from him.

_Partly_ at least.

Because what he actually said still spoke volumes and he breathed it out deeply.

"You'd better fuckin' not."

* * *

**Okay, so that was the end of this little story. What can I say? It popped into my head and I just had to write it!**

**Another Shield Police AU one shot coming tomorrow and I have a Dean and Lauren one shot coming up this week too, just to wet your appetites for their next full length story which is coming soon after. So hopefully I'll see you at one of those!**


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